If a tree could talk
by TarthEyes
Summary: A four part story of a witness that stood in the background in Hiyori's bad times  Shi/yori .
1. Part 1

**If a tree could talk**

**Disclaimer:** Bleach does not belong to me. I wish it was so I could know if something comes after the Aizen arc

**Special** **thanks** to my Beta **_Chancewriter_** that makes my crazy ideas understandable and readable. You're THE best!

Warning: SPOILER ALERT! Part 1, 2 and 3 are before the normal Bleach time line, part 4 is according manga 422 The Silent Victory. A/N at the bottom, _italics_ are for thoughts, and some cursing but nothing major in this part.

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Hiyori understood that life is not supposed to be fair, especially after life because if normal human life was filled with injustice why would the spiritual life would be any different?

But after all, she understood and she barely – well, no, she complained A LOT, but if she compared her life to others, hers was especially difficult and hard.

Aha…that was the word she was looking for: hard, her life was hard. And the questions she had had for as long as she could remember in her mind was:

_"Why does this happen to me? Why does every moment have to be so hard?"_

Those questions had been present in every moment of her life, screwing her happiness and destroying everything she had put effort into accomplish.

In every moment that there was some type of glee, something would happen that would bring those two questions that followed her like a plague. Apparently she was not meant to be a happy person.

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**The first time on the tallest branch**

There was nothing more exciting in this crazy world. Nothing. After 3 years she was going to forget about books and tests, stupid kidou and stupid teachers that annoyed her until no end. She was leaving the Shinigami Academy and joining the 13 Squads of Protections as a seated officer.

She didn't care about the fact that it was an 8th seat of the 12th Division. She, Sarugaki Hiyori would be a real Shinigami with a real title and of course if she showed her new Taichou Hikifune Kirio, that she was a hard worker and that she had talent (that she had), she probably would sky rocket her way to the top.

_Sakuragi Hiyori__, Taichou of the 12__th__ Division. _She smiled at the thought of her dream coming true, well not coming true, but she was one step closer to it.

She closed her eyes, put her arms on the back of her head and crossed them as she continued her daydreaming. The only thing she could really tell was that she'd miss the red uniform, because the black kimono was not her favorite at all.

Her tiny feet took her to one of the barracks of the 5th Division. Her letter of notice had arrived just 10 minutes ago, so naturally she needed it to rub her promotion in some Baldy's face, especially because lately he'd been nagging her about his 6th seat of the 5th Division.

Everybody knew that the 12th Division was more difficult than the 5th or at least she would like to think it. She was sure she had heard that rumor somewhere. So, she even took the envelope to his room to show him she wasn't lying, knowing that that would be his first argument when she told him about her new position.

Hiyori allowed herself an uncharacteristic squeal. She couldn't wait to see his face of jealousy and envy. This would be a proof that she was better than him as a Shinigami and why not also, as a person, regardless of what her teachers or peers could think about her. Morons.

Some nameless Shinigamis gave her glares while she passed them, after all she was wearing a student uniform and this barracks were only for the use of the people who belonged to this division, but she didn't care; her only target here was stupid Shinji and making stupid Shinji jealous. The little blonde got to his door, just a normal door like every other and was about to open it and start her triumphant speech, when she heard a girl's voice inside.

The little blonde froze at this. _A girl? What a girl is doing there? I mean Shinji has a girly personality, but that voice wasn't him_, and without meaning Hiyori began hearing the conversation.

"I don't see the big deal Hirako-san we're both adults." The woman voice sounded annoyed, but loving.

"It's against regulations. Are you aware of that?"This time Shinji's drowsy voice could be heard. He sounded annoyed too, and not too friendly towards the girl who had spoken. Hiyori smiled, but the next comment wiped the gesture off her face immediately.

"So? You love me, right? Fuck the rules our love can't be –" This time the woman inside sounded angry and was starting to yell.

"Please stop." He begged with a dull tone. Did the girl said love? She and Shinji were in love? The words didn't quite register in Hiyori's mind. She just stood there petrified with a blank expression on her face and her glowing cheeks were pale at the idea of this exchange. However, the girl inside hadn't shut up. The girl giggled.

"Hirako stop," another giggle, "Why does it matter if anyone knows when we can have these moments to ourselves?" His voice was not bored or angry anymore. _That_ was the tone he used on girls to flirt and tease with them. Hiyori knew it well, not because he had ever used that voice with her, but because she had been witness to his lewd comments and actions for as long as she had known him.

_It was enough!_ Her mind screamed in pain. She could not and will not listen anymore to every word and moan she was hearing coming from that bedroom because with every sound she literally could feel her heart breaking into a million pieces. The dipshit had a girlfriend or at least a girl to pass the time. She could not think of an insult that could be hurtful enough to describe what the blonde male was to her at the moment.

_Dumb Hiyori__, you actually thought for a second that he was interested in you. Dumb dumb Hiyori thought that someone like you could be enough for him. Wake up and smell the roses, you're not his type. You lack beauty, grace and elegance_; her precious envelope and letter, the ones she had practically adored before hearing any of this talk were wrinkled in her tiny fists that were balls of fury.

She didn't love nor him or anyone, she was a warrior, a Shinigami; her heart was there to pump blood through her body not to fill her with illusions of soul mates, dates and cheesy words. Why did she feel this way? No, she didn't love him. SHE DID NOT! Then why she was crying? Why were hot tears falling down her face ceaselessly?

To hell with him, to hell with the bimbo inside of his room at 7:30 in the morning, to hell with the fact that the happy couple probably had sex last night and probably was having sex at this second.

To the fuck with it! She didn't care. She would never care for the love life of an asshole like him that was so blind to see that there was a blonde pigtailed girl that really cared about him, even when she couldn't admit it to herself.

She left as fast as she could, not looking back, not being able to stop the tears and not remembering that in her fury she had throw her letter to the floor outside his room.

The noise of her feet hitting hard against the wood and going away from his bedroom made Shinji open the door and look for someone. He had felt Hiyori's reiatsu for a second, but there was no one in sight. He narrowed his eyes in a puzzled expression. Instinctively he looked down and to his surprise the official crest of the 12th Division, in a practically torn envelope, was facing him. He bent over, picked up the papers on the floor and began reading. His eyes opened in shock. She had come here to give him the good news of her promotion and she had probably heard everything that had happened in his room.

_Damn that midget!_ So the next step would be getting _what'sherface_ out of his room and out of his life. There probably would be tears from the woman, but it wasn't a really serious affair, at least for him. Shinji sighed. He tried to smooth the letter as much as he could and closed the door dreading the break up conversation he was going to have with his female companion.

Hiyori was a fast runner, but this time she wasn't sure how long it took her to get to the tallest tree in Soul Society, one that was outside the north gate of the Seretei and that she had discovered in one of her searches for a good place to train outside the Academy. She wasn't sure either if anyone saw her running from the 5th Squad or running completely covered in tears. Although for a second her named sounded in her ears, but she dismissed it and kept running.

She stood on the tallest branch of the tree until it was noon and she cried the entire time like she had never done it before.

Before she came down from the tree she thought to herself: _Why does this happen to me? Why does every moment have to be so hard?_ She sighed and began descending carefully, trying to block all the thoughts of that morning, so the tears wouldn't come back again.

When she got to the ground, a man with long, blonde hair with a wrinkled envelope and letter in his hand, was sitting in the grass waiting for her.

"Congratulations are in order, I suppose." his tone was far from the normal Shinji she knew. He was there looking at her red and puffy eyes even when she was looking at the opposite direction with a furious expression. He continued to talk while beckoning her to sit down in the grass next to him. "But I think that the celebration can wait. It's important that we talk about something else first."

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**A/N:** So this is the first part of 4 that included Hiyori, the tree, and the 2 questions. I'ven't done any past on my fics and I wanted to have a little turned back the pendulum in my collection of fanfics.

The entire story is based on a Maroon 5's song called 'Won't go home without you'. Is a very cute song be sure to listen it!

This fic was originally part of a "Drabble a day keep Hiyori at bay" but it got to long to be one chapter, so it became a fic on it's own. Please be sure to check part 2, honestly of all the fanfics and all the chapter I've written is my favorite one!

So I give you a little sneak peak...

_"And what do you want from me?" He wasn't going to let her go in circles, so he said exactly what he was thinking._

_"Two things," The woman cleared her throat and looked at him directly at his eyes. "An advice and a promise" He acknowledged her with a nod of his head, so she decided to continue. "How do I tell her?"_

_"You are asking me?" He faked a laugh, but a second later his serious face was back again. "It doesn't matter how you tell her, it'll be hard for her."_

_"I'm aware of that fact." She commented sadly._

_"Be direct." He spat "She doesn't like when people go around the bushes with an important subject and you'll have to tell her soon, so she can start getting used to the idea"._

_Hikifune nodded and closed her eyes. Shinji didn't dare to break the silence, so she did._

_ "That was the advice part," a false tender smile was painted on her face. "Now the promise…"_

Enjoy and please do not forget to leave me a review!

Kate


	2. Part 2

**If a tree could talk**

**Disclaimer:** Bleach does not belong to me. I wish it was so I could know if something comes after the Aizen arc

**Special** **thanks** to my Beta **_Chancewriter_** that makes my crazy ideas understandable and readable. You're THE best!

Warning: SPOILER ALERT! Part 1, 2 and 3 are before the normal Bleach time line, part 4 is according manga 422 The Silent Victory. A/N at the bottom, _italics_ are for thoughts, and some cursing but nothing major in this part.

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**The second time on the tallest branch**

They were hiding, sort of hiding anyway. The blonde captain had told and threatened her, arguing that they shouldn't, but she was happier this way. No complications, no explanations, no jokes, no nothing.

Out in the open when the other Captains and Lieutenants would see them, they were friends that got along with insults, childish gestures and beatings that mostly came from her part. But behind the doors of his office or her room they were together, in a romantic, not too romantic sort of way, and she was happy like that. He was not. He'd probably make her change their status of their secret relationship soon and start openly admitting that she liked him and that he liked her, but at least today she didn't have to deal with his impatience.

She looked at the empty office, stretched herself and stared at the clock. It was 8:55. Hikifune Taichou was a little late, unusual on her part; she was normally there not later than 8:45. Hiyori opened a drawer and took out the weekly schedule. Monitoring Hikifune's meetings and workload was her job as a Fukutaichou and she liked doing it.

She started looking for the second week of September, _today is the…. 14__th__, hmmm so today_, and with a tiny finger she pointed at the 9:00 a.m. space that had her Taichou's calligraphy, and read out loud:"Meeting with Hirako Shinji".

Hiyori frowned and wondered, she didn't remember any official business between the 5th and the 12th, and for a moment the blonde's face paralyzed with fear…maybe, just maybe Hikifune-san knew about them and wanted to confront Shinji about it. No, impossible! Her Taichou would come to her first, or would she? They had been careful, well, she had been, because lately he was getting more and more eager about letting everybody know, so he would 'forget' things like closing the doors or look at her with his stupid "I love you" eyes in front of the Captains. If Hikifune-san had found out because he made one of his 'mistakes' she would have his head on a stick for dinner.

Like she had summoned him with her thought, a man with long blond hair and a Captain's haori appeared at the door.

"Where is Kirio? Sousuke told me I had an appointment with her." Shinji told her without knocking on the door or saying proper greetings, so of course she had to throw at him the weekly planner she had in her hand at the time.

"Ahhh! That hurt! What's wrong with you? Not a morning person?" Shinji said rubbing his head.

"You didn't even say hello, Baldy!" She said sitting again, because she had had to stand up to give good direction and proper strength to her shot. "Someone should make you learn good manners, this is my office, so you should say something like –Good Morning Hiyori-san, did you had a good night last night Hiyori-san? Or Can I bring you some tea Hiyori-san –"

"Like hell I'm calling you Hiyori-san" He said sending her a glare filled with electricity all the while still rubbing his head.

She closed her eyes and stuck out her tongue. It was too early to be annoyed by this Baldy. So he took the easy way out of this argument: he shunpoed and kissed her.

Hiyori was surprised.

"Shinji!" She reprimanded him while she was completely flushed and he had broken the kiss, but hadn't moved.

"Good morning Hiyori-san." He whispered on her lips and grinned just millimeters from her face.

"Baka." She said pushing him hard away from her, even redder in the face. She wasn't expecting that he would turn her little complaint into a cute thing. She pretended that she hated cute things, didn't he know that?

He did know that she liked to pretend. That was the reason he did the cute scene in the first place. He laughed and half sat on the edge of her desk getting a bit far from her, but grabbing her left hand and playing with her fingers.

"So you didn't answer me, where is Kirio?"

"I suppose she overslept, but she should be here any minute now." She said scowling and moving her hand out of his. He should be grateful she didn't slap him.

"Sour grapes." He complained looking at her from the corner of his eyes.

"Besides Baldy, are you deaf? I said she should be here any minute now or do you want her to find us holding hands?" And she moved her hands down her desk placing them onto her thighs, so he couldn't reach for them again.

"I don't really care or mind. I bet she doesn't either." He replied looking innocently at the door and later at the blonde Fukutaichou. Hiyori rolled her eyes. _This man likes to prove my patience. _

"Shut up! I have more notebooks and papers for me to toss you if you keep saying nonsense."

"Alright, alright don't get your panties in a bunch." He said moving his hands harmlessly. Hiyori's face was the picture of shock, anger and embarrassment.

What had he just said to her?

"It's just an expression, dummy, and you dare calling ME a perv." He was enjoying this conversation very much, so hopefully Hikifune had forgotten the meeting and he could stay here until lunch. "Besides, I didn't say your pretty white and red panties that you wear on Tuesdays. I saved that part for my imagination, by the way today is….Tuesday" He said grinning widely. In the second that the words had left his mouth he knew he would have gotten hit or murder or maybe just death by a beaten. Oh yes, he would.

She took impulse and imprinted her feet in his face sending him flying through the office until his back hit the wall. The girl moved towards him and proceeded to grab his haori and punch him on the face, but a hand grabbed her wrist.

"Hiyori," A motherly voice called her name, "I've told you to be nice to the guests, especially if the guest is a Taichou." Hikifune told the girl with tender eyes motioning her to return to the desk.

"But…he…and…he...Shinji is an asshole and he deserves it!" Hiyori said red in the face, a color that Hikifune took as a sign of wrath, but in reality the Fukutaichou was blushing. Shinji lay on the floor next to the wall scarred and bruised, but still grinning.

"I've told you too to be respectful of HIRAKO Taichou, don't call him Shinji. He is a Captain." The woman emphasized, making Hiyori cross her arms and muttering something like, "some captain he is," while she sat in her chair facing Hikifune. The newly arrived woman turned to the girl again,

"Can you do me a favor, please?" The blonde girl nodded changing her expression to eagerness "Go to the 4th Division and ask for an audience with Yamada Seinosuke and he will give you some medication I'm trying," Hiyori changed again her expression to show she was worried "No, don't do that face. It's nothing to worry about, just a tiny flu, but I prefer to be safe than sorry."

"Hai" she bowed and began walking, but before leaving the office the lieutenant turned her face, and scowled in Shinji's direction. He stuck out his tongue at her, and the little girl left.

"She is so annoying. You should be made a saint to expend so much time with her." He said picking himself off of the floor and wiping the dust from his white haori. Hikifune smiled in response.

"Shall we?" And she indicated a blue couch for him that was in the center of the office as she took a seat on the one in front.

"Apparently you need it to talk to me alone and for a fairly long amount of time." Shinji said looking at her in the eye as he moved some strands of hair that were in his face. "Yamada Seinosuke is so obnoxious that maybe tomorrow she will have an audience with him or maybe in 2 to 3 weeks." Shinji said, his annoyed normal expression ruling his eyes and mouth.

"Actually what I need to tell you is quite simple and plain. But I hope your response is the one will take up time." She was serious, not an ounce of her usual tenderness or motherly instinct.

"Ok… but I have to say you're starting to scar –" He was cut by her fast words.

"I'm leaving Shinji" She confessed in a whisper.

"You're leaving? Now?" He repeated not fully understanding "Where? Why?" and then something clicked in his head.

_Oh no Hiyori _he thought and he closed his eyes in concern, his amused expression long gone and his mouth was a straight line.

"I think you understand now why I called you." A sad smile came from the 12th Division Taichou. "I have no idea how to tell her." He noticed she was avoiding his questions.

"Where are you going Kirio?" The fact he was calling her by her name showed the seriousness of the matter. The woman sighed and answered very slowly.

"To take up a position with the Zero Squad, you know, The Royal Guard."

Shinji's eyes were wide open in shock. No, she wasn't leaving, she was erasing her presence in this dimension. "And what do you want from me?" He wasn't going to let her go in circles, so he said exactly what he was thinking.

"Two things," The woman cleared her throat and looked at him directly at his eyes. "An advice and a promise" He acknowledged her with a nod of his head, so she decided to continue. "How do I tell her?"

"You are asking me?" He faked a laugh, but a second later his serious face was back again. "It doesn't matter how you tell her, it'll be hard for her."

"I'm aware of that fact." She commented sadly.

"Be direct." He spat "She doesn't like when people go around the bushes with an important subject and you'll have to tell her soon, so she can start getting used to the idea".

Hikifune nodded and closed her eyes. Shinji didn't dare to break the silence, so she did.

"That was the advice part," a false tender smile was painted on her face. "Now the promise…"

He looked at her anxiously.

"I need you to be her guardian, her protector and to make her grow into a fine lady." She started, but without even realizing he spoke:

"You know we are talking about Hiyori, don't cha?" His grin told Hikifune he was remembering the beaten that happened before she entered.

"I'm not kidding!" She hardened her expression. "She has so much potential in her to be a good person and a great Shinigami and I don't think any other person besides you could help reveal that light that shines in her spirit. She needs to understand that being strong is not about building walls to keep people away, it is about trusting and loving the others around us."

_Says the one who is leaving her_ Shinji thought bitterly and his eyes expressed the contempt his mind was aiming toward the woman who was going to hurt Hiyori.

"I know how ironic this is, and that you probably hate me because she is going to suffer when I'm gone, and you'll have to pick up the pieces. I can recognize I'm not being fair to you Shinji, but I wouldn't be asking this of you if I knew you were incapable of doing it." Kirio's eyes were pleading, no, they were begging to him.

"Have you seen the way we treat each other? And you want me to take care of her? You're insane! She will probably kill me." He argued.

"Please," Her voice was calm and amused, "do not insult my intelligence."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He looked away at her words.

"I'm talking about your façade." She grabbed his hand and made him look at her, "about the show you present for people who don't know either of you, but I have eyes and ears Shinji."

_This woman __thinks she is so clever_ he thought.

"So, would you promise to me not let any danger near her, and to make her happy?"

He stood up and looked at the window.

"With my life."

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3 days passed and Hikifune told her over tea she was leaving to protect the Soul King. There wasn't any tantrum, loud screams or even strong language. Her captain told her she was leaving for good, and she nodded in acknowledgment and asked politely to be excused. Hikifune let her go and Hiyori left the room they shared and used as an office.

She ran.

No, she flew as fast as her legs and reiatsu let her, ripping the bottom of the stupid green yukata her Taichou had made her wear for the 'special' occasion. She wasn't even crying; the knot in her throat was there, but no tears were coming out, and suddenly she came to a stop when she reached her final destination: her tree.

She eyed the place that brought her so much peace and she mentally told herself: _Why does this happen to me? Why does every moment have to be so hard? _She stopped her self-pity abruptly, and climbed until she reached to the top, and to her surprise there was someone else there in HER place.

"What are you doing here Shinji?" She asked turning her back to him. The fact that his name was pronounced instead of her usual sweet nicknames frightened him. He stood up on the branch and grabbed her wrist making her turn to face him. Hikifune was right. Hiyori was special. Her cherry red freckled cheeks, beautiful honey eyes and pink lips were only compared with a mirage, particularly today that her long messy hair was done in a stubby braid, and for once in her life she was wearing something a girl would use.

"Nothing out of the ordinary." He replied eyeing her face and letting go of her wrist. Something was wrong, she was taking too well the fact that her mother figure was leaving. He sat back down and was going to say something about Hikifune, but in a second he decided against it. If she wanted to talk, she would be the one who'd bring it up.

"I thought you were on a mission." She sat next to him, but looking in a different direction while she talked.

"I just returned." He was looking at her, only her. "And I thought it would've been a good opportunity to steal your secret place."

"Stop it" She whispered.

"Stop what?" He enquired.

"Stop pretending you don't know why I'm here." He didn't answer, if it helped he would let her yell at him as much as she wanted. She mistook his silence for pity, so she started to shout. "Stop looking at me like I'm about to break or burst!" But the recent tears falling from her cheeks were not masking her turmoil. "I'm a Shinigami, a Fukutaichou nonetheless. I don't care if she goes or not. I don't need her or anyone…" Her voice broke. He did hate Hikifune Kirio. Anyone capable of doing this to HIS Hiyori had a place in hell reserved.

He tried to grab her wrist again, but she slapped his hand away. He tried again and succeeded this time, but she wasn't going along with his hands trying to bring her closer to his chest. She was hitting and pushing to avoid his touch. She released herself again, and slapped him. It wasn't a normal Hiyori slap, it was hard, cold and it had been the only punched that actually had hurt Hirako Shinji.

"Don't you dare touch me again!" She was still crying, but there was something else in her eyes. Anger. Not it wasn't that, it was wrath.

He looked at her seriously, not a word was leaving his mouth, and his normal Cheshire cat smile was non-existent.

"You're just like her. When something better comes along you will leave without a care in the world." Hiyori said, looking at her bare feet. "You'll go… without me."

One more time he pulled her close, but this time she didn't refuse him. Her tiny hands were on his chest, her body sat on his lap and her head in the crook of his neck. Shinji stroked her head listening to her quiet sobs in his black kimono was making even more hushed.

"No matter what, I will never leave you." He whispered to her, being the most gentle he could be.

She detached her head from him and spoke softly.

"You don't have to lie to me. I'm a big girl Shinji."

"I'm not lying to you." He moved her so that his eyes could show hers he was not being untruthful, and with one of his hands he removed her bitter tears. She closed her eyes and pushed her face a little to his. She wanted a kiss, so he would give it to her. He would give her the moon and the sun if she would want them.

It was a short kiss, not the type that made her fuzzy and breathless, but the ones that showed her he would stay with her, not like her Captain was doing. She put her face next to his neck again.

"I'm sorry that I slapped you."

Shinji chuckled.

"Today is the days of miracles. You are apologizing for hitting me AND you're wearing a skirt."

She chuckled too and faked a blow to his ribs.

"Take what you can get dipshit."

_An insult_ he smiled _she was better._

"Shinji?" She asked without moving. "Can we stay like this for a while?"

"As much as you like, dummy." And he resumed the stroking of her hair. "As much as you like."

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**A/N:** I love this chapter even with the bunch of fluff! and I'm sorry but I had to take the only opportunity to put Hiyori on a yukata (you don't have many of this).

A little sneak peak of next chapter...

_After many, many years of fighting them she has become one. A f#cking hollow. She, the one that had worked so hard to be the best Shinigami she can be, has become the mortal enemy she had sworn to slay._

_F#ck, f#ck, f#ck. F#ck._

_She will not be careful with her language this time, f#ck her, f#ck the Shinigamis, the hollows, the Soul Society, the Seretei, the Soul King, the old bags that condemned them to die, and especially f#ck Urahara Kisuke and Hirako Shinji._

_Because she hated them more than she hated Aizen Sousuke._

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Enjoy and please review!_  
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